For The Munny
by ThreeThreads
Summary: "Stop it! I'm not gay!" I yell and snatch my hand away.   He raises a brow in confusion. "If you're not gay...I-if you're not staying here for me, then for what?"   I sigh and say, "For The Munny."   Contains: AkuRoku and Yaoi/Yuri Side Pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**I was on the Craigslist and found an ad with the one in this story, thus it gave me inspiration to write this. Credits go to them as well.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Square Enix, Disney, Craigslist or any of the cars listed.**

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><p>"Please! You've gotta let me work longer! I need the extra pay!"<p>

"I'm sorry, Roxas, but it's past seven. You know the law. I'm not allowed to let you work late or for too many hours. I'm sorry, really." My boss, called DiZ by all of the employees at McDonalds, pats my shoulder and heads back to his office. I sigh, grab my backpack and keys and leave the fast food restaurant.

As I drive home in my Ford Escort, my phone rings. I let it go to voicemail because using my phone while driving is at the top of my Things-I-Would-Never-Do-Because-I'm-A-Respectable- Person List. Whoever called doesn't call again so it was probably a friend or family member. They all know about my call-and-drive pet peeve.

I pull onto the driveway of my family's small surburban home and glare at the 'For Sale' sign with so much intensity that it could burst into flames. It would've too if Sora hadn't knocked on my window.

My twin flashes a huge smile and gestures for me to roll the window down. I do so, put my hands back on the steering wheel and say,

"Hey, Sora. What's up?"

"Hey, Roxas. Um, not much, but...could you do me a favor?" He begins. I didn't know it was possible but his smile gets bigger. "Drop me off at Riku's?"

I sigh and let my hands fall from the steering wheel. "Come on, Sora. I've got homework to do and I'm exhausted from work."

"PLEASE, Roxas! We haven't seen each other since, like, five hours ago. And you won't have to pick me up. I'm sleeping over."

"Does Mom know?" I ask.

"Duh!" He says, as if it's something everyone should automatically know. "I told Mommy before she left for work."

I raise an eyebrow when he says 'Mommy'. Sora knows how to play the game. He acts like a little kid and isn't given much responsibility, meaning he has more time to fool around, especially with his 'friend', Riku.

"Get in, fag." I say and roll the window up.

Sora hurries over to the passenger side and hops in. He puts on a grumpy face and snaps,

"Mommy said you can't call me a fag."

"That's like telling you that you can't be gay. Either way, we'll both break the rules."

Sora lets out a huff and frustratingly puts his seatbelt on as I pull out of the driveway.

On the fifteen minute drive, I can't help but wonder how my twin became gay. I used to think that it was because I was so straight that there wasn't any straightness left for him. But I guess it must've started when he and Riku reached puberty. I swear, Riku never had the same light green eyes again. After puberty, they became dark with lust whenever he looked at Sora. I used to debate running to my room whenever he came over because I was frightened that Riku would just pounce onto him. But I stayed since I didn't really want Riku to confuse naive little Sora into taking his pants off.

In the end, no matter how much I tried to protect Sora, I couldn't stop it. The little perv wanted it too!

**(...)**

"Okay, get out, Sora." I grumble when we park in front of Riku's house.

"Thanks, Roxas. Love you!" Sora slips out of the car and heads to the front door. I wait until Riku opens to make sure my brother makes it inside and begin to pull out when I can't help but peek at Sora as he wraps his arms around Riku's neck and hugs him tightly. Riku lets his hands fall to Sora's waist and twists his face into the brunette's neck. I chuckle lightly.

Sora looks so innocent to everyone else but to me, he looks like the kind of guy that would be just the opposite in the bedroom.

"...Naughty, naughty, naughty..." I mumble to myself.

**(...)**

When I finally make it home, I flop in front of my computer and immediately boot it up. This Friday night, I have the house all to myself and I don't plan to be like practically any other teen and have a wild party. No, I'm too responsible for that. Well, that and I've got better things to do like find another job for when McDonalds is following the law too diligantly.

Having two jobs will be the smartest way to earn munny since having one isn't enough and since Mom said that I'm not allowed to sell my organs.

The best thing to do is find something under the radar of the government so they won't track me down and make me have one job. Where's a place that gives out jobs that float right under the government's censor? A place where a sixteen year old like myself could get a reasonable job and earn a reasonable amount of munny for a reasonable amount of labor?

As I'm pondering such a place, my computer finally loads and a website that I guess Sora had been on while I was at work pops up. Apparently, he was looking for a puppy. My eyes widen when I see the website name and a lightbulb flickers above my head.

"Tch...now I have to buy another lightbulb." I mutter and look back at the screen. I gasp as an idea pops into my head, "That's it! I'll use Craigslist to find another job!"

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><p><strong>I made Roxas drive a Ford Escort because I was told that that was a cheap car that people in Roxas' situation would drive...He's supposed to be poor. I put him in a Toyota Supra by accident but changed it immediately. Those are expensive.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Square Enix, McDonalds or Craigslist.**

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><p>One hour of my life has been wasted.<p>

And even though it was wasted searching for (and finding no) jobs on Craigslist, I'll never get it back. It was used up by me, the idiot who thought that I might have enough luck to actually find a reasonable job. But then, just as I was about to give up, I managed to squeeze out a bit of luck and get a good laugh.

I found a gig that was titled:

_Server for Party_

And I thought, _Nice, parties happen a few times a month and usually at night when I'm free. And if I need to be a server then all I need to do is walk around with a tray, offering little snacks to people, right?_

So, I clicked it. And the summary made me made me laugh a little because...really, would **I** ever take **this** job?

_Need males over eighteen to act as butlers for our bi/gay parties held every Friday. Must be here before the party to get ready, during to serve drinks, snacks and dinner and then stay after to clean.  
>Experience desired but not required. Remember to include contact info in email and 'Party' in subject line.<br>$10 an hour plus tips._

Me, the straight son, working as a butler for a bi/gay party. I'm not **that** desperate for a job.

So, I rub one of my temples and sit there, laughing softly for a few seconds.

Really, in what situation would I need to be in to take that job?

**(...)**

The next Saturday morning, I awake to the alarm on my phone. Like always, I check on my mom to see if she made it home and collapsed in her room from exhaustion. She has so I get ready for work and leave.

On the way to the car, I glance at the 'For Sale' sign and shake my head. When my mom told me and Sora that we were losing our home, I was upset. I was raised in this house and just because we can't keep up with the bills anymore, my whole childhood is going to disappear. But I won't let it happen. That's why I got a job at McDonalds and beg for more time to work everyday. Whatever munny I make, I give to my mom. After taking a few for gas, of course.

Though, recently, when they put the sign up, I asked my mom what had happened. The munny I was giving her, combined with the munny she makes from her job as a nurse, should've given us a few more months. That's when she confessed that she was putting the munny I gave her to the side in a bank account for when we had to leave the house and look for another place to live.

All my work had been for nothing. But I didn't stop. We had to keep going even if I was devasted that I'd lose the only place that I knew as home. So, I decided that I'd make enough munny to get us a place that we'd never have to give up. That's why I put up with-

"Stupid McDonalds..." I mumble to myself as I step into the grease filled workplace.

**(...)**

"DiZ, is today the day you'll let me work a little longer?"

The manager of the unhealthy death trap of a restaurant looks down at me with an irritated expression. "You've exceeded the seven hours that you're allowed to work on Saturday."

I sigh. "Come on, DiZ, I need this."

"The answer's no and will stay no." And with that, he heads back to his man cave.

As quickly as possible, I've got my things and am already in my car, almost ready to go with my hands on the steering wheel but the actual vehicle still off. I rest my forehead on the wheel and let out an exasperated sigh.

"It feels like I'm in darkness..." I softly whisper. "And no matter what I do, it gets darker and darker. My mind feels foggy and my limbs feel numb. I'm exhausted but I haven't even made a dent in our debts. Mom's stashing munny to the side but I want to keep the house so..." My eyes begin to droop. "...so that...he'll always know where we are..."

**(...)**

"Mommy, can we get ice cream?" A young, elated voice asks.

"Some Sea Salt Ice Cream? !" Another voice, somewhat similar to the first, chimes.

"If you both behave then we'll see." An older, kind voice replies.

I slowly open my eyes and find myself in my house, a few feet away from the front door. But it looks and feels different. There's pictures all over the walls and the curtains are pulled back, letting sunlight dance on the stainless carpet. The scent of vanilla floats throughout the house. A weird shudder creeps up my body. I turn toward the voices and my eyes widen in confusion.

My mother. Younger, more relaxed and with a carefree smile on her smooth, flawless face. There's no bags of exhaustion under her eyes, only crow's feet (which is pretty good considering how you get them). I haven't seen her like this since...I was a kid.

That's when I notice the two young children of the same age with the same beautiful cerulean eyes, both hanging on to a hand of my mother. The only difference between them is that one has blond hair and the other brown. My mouth hangs slightly agape and I shake my head slightly.

"Sora and me? When we were kids?" I choke out and take a step forward.

But I stop and smile with mournful eyes at the sight, savoring the rare moment. We look so alike. What changed us into what we are today?

Then, suddenly, my mother gets a worried look. "Cloud...?"

Slowly, I look over my shoulder. And once I see a man who looks just like me with the same golden spikes and the same sky blue eyes, my pupils dilate and I step back toward my past family, my body twisting to face my father.

Within a few seconds, my eyebrows furrow and I grit my teeth. My fists clench and I prepare to use them. He deserves whatever I plan to do to him.

"You're the reason." I say through gritted teeth and then yell, "You're the fucking reason!"

But as if he didn't hear me, Cloud turns and heads out the door. I'm about to chase after the bastard but the house begins to morph. The pictures fall off of the walls and crash onto the floor. The curtains swoosh shut and the scent of vanilla disappears. A few screams and cries echo throughout the house. I quickly turn back just in time to see my mother close her eyes as her face distorts to one of grief, a face that my present mother usually has. She looks tired again, so much that she can't even smile, though she wishes she could.

My eyes dart to Sora who grows a few feet and gains more mature features. His eyes stay young and innocent but with a hint of dark lust in them. Next is myself. I go through the same growth changes as Sora but there's more. I look more experienced and angrier than him. My face seems to be in a permanent frown and my eyes look lifeless as if the joy has been beaten, or worked, out of them.

Then, the three of them reach down and each pick up a suitcase that seems to have just appeared out of thin air. Together, they begin to head out the door. I stare in confusion then realize what's happening when I see a young lady or man (it's hard to tell with their skinny figure), a few years older than me, in police attire waiting just a few steps away.

They're being evicted.

"N-no...This can't happen. This won't happen." I hurry to the officer, forgetting that no one can hear or see me, and beg to him, "Please don't do this. We need to stay here. He needs to know that we're still here. Please, there has to be something I can do to prevent this."

And to my surprise, the officer turns his head toward me and as he avoids eye contact, replies, "There's tons of things you can do but you're not desperate enough to do them. You're so stubborn, you'll wait until this happens..." He gestures to my family with a quick, graceful hand and continues, "And then start begging for spare change. You need to start when you're ahead."

"But what do I do? What can I do?" I ask but he's back to ignoring me like the others.

I place my hands on my head to prevent this world from spinning. My breathing gets heavy. I shut my eyes and my thoughts pound at the walls of my head.

_What do I do? ! What can I do? ! Help me! Someone, please..._

"HELP ME! ! !"

**RING~RING~RING**

My head bolts upright and I find myself in my car at the McDonalds parking lot, covered with sweat. My trembling hands search around for the device that the ringing is being emitted from. When I finally find my phone (in my pocket), I answer,

"Hello?"

"Roxas?" Sora's voice asks. It's shaky and sounds like he had been crying.

"Sora? What's wrong?"

"It's Mommy. She's in the hospital, except her shift's over."

My cell phone drops from my hand and I speed out of the parking lot, forgetying everything I ever learned in Driving School.

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><p><strong>AN: There's the second chapter. <strong>

**Also, the review button is just a few centimeters below. Click it if you wish for me to become a better writer. Please tell me where I went wrong and where I went right with this chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Square Enix, Disney, Final Fantasy, or Nike.**

As many crime witnesses say,

"It all went by so fast."

It's also a good sentence to describe my trip to the hospital.

After breaking many driving laws, I parked in the first spot I could find in Ansem the Wise Memorial Hospital's parking lot. When I ran in, there was already a raven haired nurse waiting for me. She grabbed me by the forearm and dragged me down the hall as she mumbled words of comfort.

Then, as quickly as she grabbed me, she let go and stopped outside of a room. She turned toward me and flashed a grin as she wagged a finger at me.

"Now, Aerith is alright," She starts and I let out a sigh of relief. "It's just that she collapsed from exhaustion. She works too hard. So, when she leaves tonight, she needs to head home and rest. Make sure she does, okay?"

I nod and smile. "Okay."

"By the way, I'm Yuffie. I wish we'd met under different circumstances, but your mom and I are always working so..."

"Don't worry. Soon, my mom won't have to work so many hours anymore." I assure her.

Yuffie tilts her head and stares at me with questioning dark brown eyes. She shakes her head and pats my shoulder.

"Be careful, Roxas."

She turns and heads into the room. I'm about to follow her when I hear a soft chuckle. I look over my shoulder and my eyebrows furrow in confusion at the sight.

It's the man..or woman.. from my dream, the cop, except he's not wearing police clothes, and it's still hard to tell what his gender is, though as I try to glimpse at his face, past the few strands of red auburn hair that hang, I see slender eyes traced with eyeliner, making me assume it's a she. Her hair is long, almost reaching the bottom of her shoulder blades as it's tied in a low ponytail, and looks as if she has bangs but pushes them back, letting them fall whichever way. Also her clothing is now the usual scrubs that nurses wear, and make her look more feminine, so I conclude that it's probably a girl.

My mouth falls open and I struggle for words. The lady is reading something from a clipboard, the corner of her mouth lifting up an unnoticeable bit, when she suddenly glances at me (Well, not at me, more like my stomach.) then back to the board. She finally finishes reading and begins to walk toward me. She stops right next to me, standing probably a foot taller than me, and places the clipboard into the bucket over the plate that displays my mom's room number. She turns her head slightly. She looks toward me, but focuses on my mouth. I lick my lips from the stare.

"Well, aren't you gonna do something now?" She says sternly, expressing a somewhat low voice that surprises me. It's low, but has a feminine edge to it. "Your mother…She's sick. Not in the way that needs medicine, but rest. From work, obviously." She pauses, letting out some sort of cross between a laugh and exhausted sigh, and taps the box. "There's gonna be a hospital bill. Do you have enough money to pay for it? …For everything?"

I don't answer, unsure if the question is rhetorical or not. Just as I'm about to answer though, she slams a fist on the wall and snaps at the top of her lungs, "YOU DON'T!"

That catches me by surprise, and I show it by blinking profusely. Before I can react, Sora steps into the hallway.

"Roxas? Everything okay?" He asks, tilting his head at me and the girl.

"Yeah…Sorry, Sora. I'll be right in." I reply, and look back at the girl once Sora leaves. She's staring down at my shoes, eyebrows knit and fists clenched, somehow not looking angry, but like a pouting puppy. I don't know what to do now. I think about comforting her but realize we don't know each other enough, despite her appearance in my dream. She nods once, as if signaling that there's nothing more to say or do, and turns on her heel, slowly making her way down the hall and rounding a corner.

_She's gone, _I realize. But for some reason, I feel like it won't be for long.

(...)

"Shouldn't these doctors and nurses be with their patients?" I whisper to Sora as we weave through a crowd of lab coats and scrubs. _Seriously, how many people can fit in this room?_

"That's what I said but apparently, these are all Mommy's friends. Well, the ones that do work with her plus a few others." He replies and reaches Riku who's standing beside a hospital bed where-

"Mom? !" I scream uncontrollably and take her hand.

Bright emerald eyes look up at me in surprise.

"Roxas…" My dear mother says with a light laugh. "Don't worry, honey. I'm fine."

My lip quivers and I let my head hang as I whisper,

"I'm so sorry, Mom."

"What? O-ow, Roxas. You're hurting me." I lift my head and quickly let go of my mom's hand. She rubs it and shakes her head. "Calm down, sweetie. You stress so much."

I smile with mournful eyes and nod. "Yeah, mom. I-I'm sorry."

And like always, she puts on a small smile and I feel my heart skip a beat.

(...)

"Thank you so much, boys, for making breakfast." My mother says as she begins to gather the dirty dishes.

"No problem, Mom. You need to rest." I say and I take the plates from her. "That means that you shouldn't be doing anything but relaxing. So, please go upstairs and lie down or watch some television."

"Thank you, Roxas." She plants a soft kiss on my forehead, making me blush like a goof, and heads out of the kitchen, giving a quick peck on Sora's brown spikes as she leaves.

Sora stands and helps me with the dishes, drying them as I wash. I lift my head and peer out the window as I wipe a plate clean. The sun had brought morning to Twilight Town a few hours ago, and yet, it seemed to be evening. The sky was a beautiful blend of yellow, orange, red, and purple, making a sunset, like always. I wonder if our sky can be one of the Seven Wonders of the Worlds.

"Roxas…?" A soft voice calls, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Hm?" I look to Sora and realize that I had stopped washing. "Oh, sorry."

"Wha…? Uh, it's okay." He mutters as if he had no idea that I had stopped. "Hey, Roxas…I've been meaning to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"I-I…" He looks down at my hands as they make slow, circular movements on a dish. "I want to get a job."

The dish slips from my hand and into the sink, making loud clattering sounds. Sora sets down the plate he was drying and fidgets with the towel while sneaking glances at me, whose staring out at the miraculous sky again.

"No." I say sternly, keeping my gaze.

Sora furrows his eyebrows. "You can't stop me, Roxas. I want to help Mommy too."

"What did I just say, Sora?" I sharply turn my head and glare at him with fierce blue eyes as deep as the ocean.

He hesitates slightly but stands his ground. "You said no, but I still want to help."

"What about school?"

"Forget it. I can quit school, get a job, and when things are going better around here, I'll get my GED."

Faster than he could react, I have him pinned up against the wall. We're so close that our noses are touching. He chokes out a gasp, filling my nose with the scent of oranges. I keep eye contact and whisper,

"You're not getting a job. Mom worked herself to her breaking point to make sure that we wouldn't have to work. Imagine what she'll do if she sees _you _working."

"You hypocrite…you plan to go back to work and do the same thing she did. You have the same intentions as her. You'll both push yourselves to the end for each other. If I help-"

"No!" I snap sharply. "You're not getting a job."

"But, Roxas, I'll do anything! I want to help! I'll even-" I cover his mouth with a free hand and lean in closer, putting my lips to my own hand.

"Please, stop…I don't want to know…I don't want to know…please…stop…"

We stand there, staring into each others eyes for as long as forever, until I feel something wet slide down my cheeks and off my chin. Sora's eyes widen and I pull away, running up to my room as soon as possible.

(...)

The door swings open and then shuts quietly, not wanting to disturb anyone. The knob is locked and the computer is turned on. Fingers type swiftly until they finally pull back, claw at the mouse, and move the cursor to the "SEND" button. As soon as said button is pressed, there's a knocking at the door.

"Roxas…" A whine slips through the cracks.

There's sniffling from both sides of the door. I unlock the door and slowly open it. Sora hesitantly walks in but wraps his arms around my neck as soon as he sees me. We fall to the floor and I just hold Sora and pet his smooth brown hair as tears slide down my cheeks. I hold in my sobs while Sora just lets it out. That's probably why he's usually so at peace. When you let out the pains welling up inside of you, you feel better. You feel hope for the future now that you've let go of all of your burdens. For a second, I consider joining his wails but decide against it. I need to be the stronger one.

"I'm sorry, Roxas…" He grips my t-shirt tightly and buries his face deeper into my chest. "I won't get a job. I'll stay in school."

Another tear plops off of my chin as a small beep emits throughout the room. I turn my head and glance at the computer but quickly turn back and hold Sora tighter, wishing with all of my heart that what I just saw was an illusion.

Regardless of my efforts, when Sora is finally rid of his tears and leaves, it's still on the computer screen: A reply email with the subject 'Party'.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Square Enix, or Disney.**

**Next chapter. Read it. Review it.**

Everything is done for a reason, right? Well, why did I skip school today?

There's nothing to be done during school hours. Work doesn't start for me until after, the television only has game shows and soap operas, and my friends are at school. But even if they weren't, I wouldn't hang out with them. It's getting pathetic. I'm always breaking promises we've made, never meeting them when I said I would, and always blowing them off for an extra hour behind the register. I'm surprised they haven't given up on me yet. Olette and Pence are loyal though. That's why they still ask what I'm doing on Saturdays. Hayner though…He's loyal but he doesn't show it like the others.

When I couldn't make it to the Struggle match as promised, Olette and Pence just nodded and suggested another day. Hayner showed his disappointment. I could tell that he was getting tired of it, but his stubbornness wouldn't let me go, and he agreed with the others. He'd wait another day.

I just don't want to lead them on. **That's **what I find pathetic: ME. How could someone who has thrown away their life for their family, try to have friends? Friends require as much attention as family. So, by now, I should've accepted it and just told them: _Hayner, Pence, Olette…I'm sorry, but you guys don't deserve this. You don't deserve the way I treat you. You need to find a friend that hasn't reached this dead end._

For what reason did I hand in that letter?

For what reason did I write on said letter that Roxas Strife will not be returning to Twilight High?

For what reason did I make it to this point of no return?

This point of no return, where my mother has worked herself to exhaustion, my brother considers the unacceptable, and I have achieved the unthinkable.

_The unthinkable, _I sigh. _This isn't unthinkable anymore. This is my life._

There **is** a reason for everything. The reason I skipped school today was to meet the man I emailed. To meet Axel Flynn.

"Axel will be here soon, Roxas." The pink haired man, who had introduced himself as Marluxia, says as he steps into the waiting room and sits in the fluffy chair across from me. "So, you want to apply for the butler position. Well…there are quite an amount of positions I think you'd be suitable for other than that but...this is fine with me."

I swallow a big lump in my throat and resist the urge to show my nervousness by fiddling with my hands. Last night, after having read the email requesting we meet and telling where to meet, I replied, saying that I'd be there. I ended up in front of a mansion, bigger and fancier than my house, but not as big and fancy as some munnillionaires'. I was afraid that I had gone to the wrong address, but rich people hire butlers, and I assumed whoever lived in the mansion must be rich enough to hire butlers. I had been right, and was pulled in by a mad man when I had introduced myself. The inside was fancier than the outside. It looked like that famous castle owned by the beast, at that world where he and his beauty lived. The huge hallway you step into after passing the front door looked like this one, except this one was brighter and smaller. Right when you walked in, a dozen feet away was a staircase that stretched to flooring where two other sets of stairs stretched to the left and right, and a large door stood ahead on the second floor. Above the stairs was a medium-sized chandelier.

It had all taken my breath away. It didn't strike a bit of jealousy in me though. I would have this one day if I worked hard enough.

_But did I really need to do this to get a house like this? _I think to myself as Marluxia stands and strides closer and closer to me.

(...)

"Mr. Strife?" A deep, smooth voice calls, and before I know it, the man who had moved from his chair to a few inches from my face was pulled off.

_An angel! An angel has saved me! _I think as I open my eyes. I raise an eyebrow in confusion at the spikes of dark red. _An angel of fire?_

"Hey, sorry about Marluxia, he tends to be very…open about his thoughts." The red haired man who had saved me says as he pushes Marluxia out of the room. He turns back to me and smirks as he holds a hand out to me. Something about his face makes me pause for a second. It feels like I've heard it before. "So, you're Roxas Strife? I'm Axel Flynn."

"Nice to meet you." I reply, and stand to shake his hand, ignoring my earlier thoughts. I do so firmly, showing that I mean business.

Axel smiles at my attempt. "You look real young, Mr. Strife. Are you sure you're over eighteen?"

"Yes, sir." I'm not really lying. I turn eighteen in a few months. It's close enough.

He stares at me, probably pondering whether he should ask for identification or not. His eyes begin to wander down, (_Another perv? !) _ but there's a crash in the next room and he quickly looks to the door (_Phew…_) where a blond woman with two wisps of hair coming out on opposite sides on top of her head, making her resemble a cockroach, stands.

"Forget homemade lunch, I'm ordering take-out. That fine with you, Axel?" She asks, waving a butcher knife around until finally just flinging it into the floor a few feet in front of her, getting it lodged in place.

"Sure, Larxene. You know what I want." He nods casually and turns back to me, who doesn't look as calm and collected as him. "Oh, and by the way, this is Roxas Srtife. He's applying for the butler position."

Larxene nods at me. "You'd look good in other positions too, you know."

All of my blood rushes to my cheeks. _Are all gay people this out there with sex? !_

Axel laughs and shakes his head. "Spare him, Larxene. I bet Marluxia tried the same line."

"He did." I mutter, making Axel look at me again with a smirk on his face. His tattooed face, I should add. _Who tattoos their face? _I wonder as I stare at the two green upside down tear drops.

The front door slams, signaling Larxene's departure. Axel steps closer to me and I notice how tall he is. Probably a foot or more. His spiked back red hair must make him look taller though.

He lifts a hand and holds my face delicately, as if it will break. I stare up into acid green eyes and realize that I haven't been touched like this since I was thirteen, back when I had a girlfriend named Namine. We had gotten pretty intimate, but not **too** intimate. We were thirteen, after all. We just kissed a lot, held each other, and talked about how great the other was. We were together for three years and broke up a few weeks after I turned sixteen. It was because right the very next day after my sixteenth birthday, I had gone out and applied at McDonalds, working as long as I could and completely forgetting about friendship and romance, and focusing solely on family. Our break up was filled with tears.

Just at Axel's gently calloused hand holding my face and reminding me of my losses, tears well up in my eyes. Axel furrows his eyebrows in confusion and lifts another hand. He moves them both from my face, down my neck, and onto my shoulders.

"You have nice shoulders for a suit. A nice, innocent face too. Some people like that and might get close to you. Now, Mr. Strife, if someone does, will you be okay with it?" He asks, keeping his voice low. "Regardless of their gender?"

I stay strong. "Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"I'm straight, Mr. Flynn."

"Then why do you want this job?"

I hesitate, but soon mutter, knowing that it'll grant me the job, "Curious."

Axel smirks. "How about we go take your measurements now, Roxas?"

(...)

Marluxia takes a deep breath in.

"The uniform must never leave this house. You wear it once, and then put it back. Like it? Tell us, we'll sell it to you. Be here every Friday at eight o'clock sharp to prepare. Everything must be ready by nine because guests arrive a little later. You know the whole fashionably late thing. Just don't try it. What's black and white and red all over? A fashionably late butler. Ha ha…good one, Marluxia. Anyway, after the guests arrive, you go around, offering little snacks. At ten, you help the others serve dinner. The party officially ends at some point, usually before noon. You stay throughout the whole thing, and also after to clean up. Once that's all done, you take off the suit, collect your pay, which is ten dollars an hour plus you keep your tips, and leave."

"Got it memorized?" Axel adds and taps his temple.

I nod. Marluxia crosses his arms and demands, "Prove it this Friday night."

"Congratulations, Roxas. You've got the job." He shakes my hand and I smile unsurely, wondering if I've truly ventured into a dead end.

**Please review with any comments regarding spelling or grammatical errors, correct personification, opinions about plot, and if you enjoyed it. Your opinions matter so much to me.**

**By the way…munnilionaires…I don't know. I like the word 'munny'.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Square Enix, Final Fantasy, or McDonalds.**

Friday night.

The night everything will change.

There are only two paths ahead of me: One where I keep the job and the other where I lose it.

Who knows what'll happen when a path is chosen?

I look at my watch. 6:55. It's been one minute since the last time I checked. I wait a while until I check again, hoping it's finally reached seven so I can leave. 6:56.

"UGHHH!" I groan before I can keep it in. It just so happens that I do it as DiZ passes by.

"Is everything alright, Roxas?" He asks.

"O-oh, it's nothing, sir. Sorry." I reply and begin to take the order of an elderly couple.

"Are you sure?" DiZ pushes. "If you're having hard times, I think I can help."

Taking the couple's money, I sigh. I hadn't gotten the chance to tell DiZ that I had dropped out of high school and could now work longer hours. Instead, all week, I had gone easy on him. I'd ask if I could work an extra hour and when he refused, I accepted it and just left. The first night, he looked baffled and as I was unlocking my car door, I heard him yell to the customers, "Ice cream is on me!"

I've just been so (I hate to admit it) nervous. _What could happen tonight?_ The thought had been bothering me all week, and it still was.

"If you need to work another hour, I suppose it'd be fine." DiZ finally mumbles.

I look at him in shock. His shoulders are slumped, he has worry in his eyes, and he's nervously rubbing the back of his neck. I realize that I've made him feel bad for all of those times he rejected my pleas. He must now realize that I seriously need the money. What could he have possibly have thought I needed it for before? Drugs, booze, girls? All that stuff normal teenagers crave?

At this moment, I notice that I must choose my words carefully or else I could scar the man, make him think that everything was his fault. That's exactly what I did. I scarred him, bad. But on accident...sort of.

What I had in mind to say was:

"Sorry, sir, I can't. I'm going to a party tonight."

And he would reply:

"Oh, it's good that you've found something to do besides work."

But that didn't happen at all.

I frowned and said,

"It's a little too late for that. Sorry, sir, but I have something I need to do. I've found another way to make money. I won't be bothering you anymore." I then check my watch again. 7:01 "Goodbye, DiZ."

I take off my hat and begin to head to the back to get my stuff. DiZ grabs my arm before I can leave and whispers,

"Be careful, Roxas."

Inside, I was surprised. That's what Yuffie had said a few days ago back in the hospital. Outside, I took my arm away, not too softly but not too hard. My eyes must've screamed betrayal because he looked devastated, like he ruined a child's life and there was no way to redeem it. The thing is, it looked like it had happened before. He sighed, and I left without a drop of guilt.

(...)

Eight o'clock.

The time everything will begin.

There are only two paths ahead of me: One where I keep the job and the other where I lose it.

Who knows what'll happen when a path is chosen?

I pull into the driveway of Axel Flynn's mansion for the second time this week. Just as I park my car and head for the door, Larxene steps out. I greet her and ask where I should go. She points to the front door where, under the porch light's luminance, I see someone, gender undeterminable, smoking a cigarette. "Ask him. He'll help." And with that, she's gone.

I head to the man and stop in front of him. I watch him as he taps the stick of tobacco, dropping little bits of ash onto the floor. He looks a few years older than me. He has grayish-blue hair and long bangs covering the right eye of his pair of cobalt blue ones. He's quite short, only a few inches taller than me, and he has a nice, lean, somewhat feminine body. He could easily be mistaken as a girl.

"Hello, my name is Roxas. I'm the new butler." I greet.

He nods, "They told me about you. I'm Zexion, the first butler. I've taught everyone how to do this job. I'm guessing that you want me to teach you too. Am I correct?"

"Yes, please."

He drops his cigarette, stomps it out, and gestures for me to follow him. He leads me into the house and stops before the grand stairs. He points to the waiting room, mumbling "Waiting room," as he does so, then points to the room opposite. "Room with a fireplace." He then gestures up the stairs. "Big door leads to the ball room, after that is the dining hall, and in the dining hall is a door that leads to the kitchen. Flight of stairs to the left is where the library, exercising rooms, arcades, and other places you're not allowed are. Don't go up the left flight of stairs. There's nothing there that concerns you. The right flight takes you to the bedrooms, where you never go. There's also the dressing room, which is the first door on the left. Remember what's forbidden. Everything but the dressing room and the rooms behind the big door."

He signals for me to follow him. We head up the right flight of stairs, into a long hallway with tall, glass windows lining the right side. The left wall, however, has multiple doors, all the way down to the end where a large door is, right down the hall from where I stand. Zexion takes me into the first room on the left.

Inside is a medium-sized room with a quite large vanity at one wall, and a huge mirror looming over it with numerous lights. At one wall, there's a clothing rack with five hangers, some holding outfits and others empty. A few couches, chairs, and throw pillows are also in the room, along with two or three people whom I guess are employees.

"This is where you change into the uniform of the day. Find the one with your name on the tag attached in one of the sleeves. Don't pull the tag off; just conceal it. Don't try to pull any tricks, either, like switching tags. Those kinds of jokes get you fired. Even though we're hosting a party, there's no fooling around…unless you're paid to." He puts his left arm across his chest, and rests his right elbow on it, his hand up in the air. "Mr. Flynn has told you about what the guests might do, correct?"

"Sort of." I answer.

"Well, depending on the guests, you might be reserved or not. If one of them develops a liking, he can reserve you, so you only let him touch you. If you're not reserved, it's a free for all. Reserved butlers are treated differently, by everyone. The pros and cons are still being considered…"

"Are you reserved?"

He shows a hint of hesitation, but answers, "Yes,"

His eyes wander to something in the room. They lead me to a blond boy in the corner, buttoning up his shirt. He has hair that resembles a cross between a mullet and a Mohawk, a girl-like figure, and, once he looks over at us, I notice he has sea green eyes. He smiles at Zexion, making the bluenette turn his head away, and continues getting dressed.

I look up at my mentor who's probably a few inches taller, and clear my throat, making him snap out of his trance. He looks down at me, and carries on, as if nothing happened, "So, just get dressed, have Xion put a little makeup on you and fix your hair, then head down to the kitchen to meet me. That's Xion." He points to a person, another whose gender is undeterminable, in front of the makeup mirror, wishes me luck, and heads to the blond boy in the corner.

Once I slip on a stereotypical black tuxedo with a bowtie (the kind you always see the butlers in movies wearing), Zexion and the blond man have already finished and left. I step up to the only person left who's smiling at me and waving me over. This person gestures me to sit down, and says,

"Hi, I'm Xion. I'm a butler, but from eight to eight thirty, you'll find me here fixing people up. Make sure to be here before eight thirty, or else I'll be gone. Then who will do your make up?"

I guess that this person's a boy. Mr. Flynn wouldn't let this person work as a butler if they weren't a boy, right? But this person somewhat resembles a girl. He—she?—makes swift, graceful movements, is quite good at makeup (but anyone can do that), and…well, his smile. A regular man wouldn't have a smile that looks so peaceful and pure. You never know, really. He can just be a male that turned gay because of his female characteristics.

Nothing can surprise me now. I've imagined multiple scenarios of what could happen tonight.

"My name is Roxas," I state.

"Roxas…" He repeats in a whisper. He then says, in a normal voice, "I'll just powder up your face a little so it won't shine from the bright lights and put some mascara to make your eyes look bigger. Not really anything should be done to your hair though. It's fine."

"Okay," I nod, and let this man lift my chin with slender fingers. Sky blue eyes meet my cerulean ones. They widen as Xion leans closer and begins to apply what I assume is powder. I watch as he does so with a serious expression, completely absorbed into making my face seemingly perfect. Every once in a while, a smile slips onto his face, but it quickly disappears.

I wonder if I'll end up like him: expressionless, except for that fleeting smile that wishes to stay, but can't. Thoughts of what makes that smile disappear fill my mind, but I can't seem to grasp a logical answer.

(...)

The connection of lips.

The gesture that will make my view on everything change.

There are only two paths ahead of me: One where I keep the job and the other where I lose it.

Who knows what'll happen when a path is chosen?

After meeting Zexion in the kitchen and listening to him explain the simple ways of circling around, offering snacks only at polite times when no one is speaking, and recommending I just watch the other butlers set up dinner so I know for next time, I grabbed a tray and headed out to the ball room where a considerable amount of people crowded. A peek at my watch said that it was a quarter after nine. Trying to be as swift and graceful as a certain raven-haired butler, I weave through the crowds, occasionally stopping next to guests and offering the little snacks on my platter. Some of the treats, I had no idea what was, but when asked my opinion on them, I answered that they were delicious.

At one point, a man stops me and begins to start conversation. He's a tan man, taller than me by a foot, maybe more. He looks down at me with gold amber eyes and a curious smirk. He places a hand on my shoulder, and leans down a little closer to talk into my ear. His excuse is that it's too loud. He then pulls me to the couches so we can relax.

_What do I do…? Should I push him away? No, that might send the wrong message. Zexion said that someone might gain a liking to me. Is this him? He's sort of creepy…_

I lean back a little, and look up into those sharp eyes again, my own filled with fear and regret.

_What have I gotten myself into? I can get raped. How can I trust a room full of gay guys? I'm not even gay! This is so wrong! What do I do? He's…He's…_

The man, who introduces himself as Xemnas, places a rough hand on mine, twists it onto the back, and pulls out the tag concealed within my jacket. He smirks at the lack of a name under my own, and moves his hand to my chin, lifting it up slightly. He begins to lean in. My eyes widen, tears threatening to spill from the corners. My breath hitches, and I want to pull away but his grip is tight.

Thoughts of Sora and Mom fill my mind. I've probably failed them. Getting a job as a butler for a gay party…? This isn't some fantasy erotica anime. This is my life. In my life are two people more important to me than anything one can think up…Sora, Mom,…I'm sorry. I've reached a dead end. This guy will probably make me his bitch and make our lives miserable.

_He's going to kiss me! _A thought screams in my mind.

Then lips connect, and my eyes shut tight, accidentally letting a single tear escape.

In the background, there are noises, and as quickly as Xemnas' lips touched mine, they're off. What happens next goes by so quickly. Before I know it, I'm on the front steps of Axel Flynn's house with Zexion by my side.

He had swooped in and gracefully saved me. Innocently, he pulled me away from Xemnas, lifting me off of the couch. He flashed a smirk, and had said,

"I'm sorry, Sir, but the rookie is taken. Forgetful Roxas here didn't write the name on his tag. Sorry for the confusion."

Xemnas furrows his eyebrows in anger at first, then regains his composure. "Very well, have you by any chance seen Saix?"

Zexion nods, and replies, "He's around here somewhere,…probably looking for you." He places a hand on my shoulder, and bows slightly, "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have matters to attend to."

Not even waiting for an answer, Zexion pulled me through the crowd, down stairs, and out the front door. I only made it a few steps before collapsing onto a step. I propped my legs on the step below me, and rested my elbows on my knees. Thus, I am here.

"What the hell?" I mutter with Zexion standing beside me, listening to the music softly emitting from inside.

"...Are you trying to be a Lolita butler?" Zexion asks, pulling out a carton of cigarettes and a lighter.

"What? No…I mean, what's a Lolita?" I reply with a question.

"Someone that looks and acts like a child."

"I am not a child! I support my family with two jobs!" I stand and glare at him, a feat made possible since we're about the same height. "A child doesn't do that! A child…A child has more sense than me! A child wouldn't have made the mistake of becoming a gay butler!"

Zexion keeps a stern face until finally nodding and pulling out a cigarette. Surprisingly, I let him slip it between my still freshly kissed lips and light it. He takes a puff from his own, and raises an eyebrow at me. I shake my head, and pull the cigarette out, "I don't smoke."

Zexion shrugs, "Then start…It'll take the stress away. You seem to have a lot."

I stare at the stick of tobacco between my fingers, the edge burning away and turning into ash. School had always taught me that smoking wasn't right. It gave you lung cancer, took away your limbs, and gave you weird, white gunk in your esophagus. They taught me to say no to both strangers and friends who offered. But they never talked about the benefits of smoking. They never talked about how it'd slip in from the cigarette, around my mouth, and swiftly back out, creating a ritual that felt so smooth, soft, and relaxing.

Of course, the first few inhales were hard. I had a fit of coughing and a rough pat on the back from Zexion until it turned into the ritual I described. Once that began, I felt the pounding in my head settle down and my muscles relax.

"Thanks," I mutter.

"Your welcome," He replies.

A few seconds of silence pass. I close my eyes and focus on regaining my composure to return to the party. For a moment, I feel like someone's starring at me. I look to Zexion out of the corner of my eye and see him doing the same. He keeps the eye contact for a while until finally looking ahead again and pulling out his cigarette. He flicks it onto the stairs, steps on it to extinguish the flame, and kicks it somewhere. He then turns toward me, and say,

"Actually…I should be saying that I'm sorry."

"Hm? Why?"

"This job…It's not really worth it if you're just a butler. You make the real munny when you get reserved. You don't seem like someone who'd like that."

"I don't mind, really."

He nods, crosses his arms in front of his chest, and puts a hand up to his mouth in thought. "You said you're not trying to be a Lolita, correct? So that means…when you cried, that wasn't an act."

My eyebrows twitch. "U-uh…"

He raises an eyebrow and smirks. "Much worse is to come. Leave now if you can't handle a simple kiss." He turns and begins to head inside.

I lower my head and clench my fists. "No…"

Zexion stops, and looks over his shoulder at me.

"Nothing worse can come to me...I'm at the bottom right now. My mother is ill from overworking, my brother wants to quit school to work…I can't let my loved ones get hurt just so they can pick up the slack." I lift my head, look straight into his cobalt blue eyes, and say, "It doesn't matter how I do it! I want to bring us back to the top! And if that means going through this charade, then I'll do it! My sanity is nothing to me." I hurry up the steps, and reach for the door to go inside.

Zexion pulls it open for me, and says,

"Be careful, Roxas."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I do not own Square Enix, Disney, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, or McDonalds.**

**By the way, in the other chapter, I don't know what a room with a fireplace would be called…I still don't. I shall call it: "fireplace room".**

Most of the cars are gone, the party vibe has died down, and now, it's just another lazy Saturday morning.

After Zexion and I had headed back to the party, it went smoothly. A few guests gave me tips, and flirted with me, but none too serious. At one point, I thought the festivity would never end. It seemed that these people could flirt, chat about yachts and poodles, and eat all of the unidentifiable snacks forever. Then, a few groups started to leave, and the others eventually followed suit.

By around five in the morning, everyone was gone, save for us butlers and residents, of course. Zexion informed me to change into my regular clothes so I could help clean. When I had done so, I decided to clean by circling around with a garbage bag and picking us trash, and also by collecting wine glasses by stacking them on a tray. I then discovered my boss, sprawled out on a couch in the fireplace room, his red spikes shooting out from the head that was snuggled into the cushions.

Cautiously, I poked him in the side, making him emit a loud snort. I took a step back in surprise. He began to stir, and I quickly returned to picking up trash to make it seem like he had awoken on his own. He turned onto his side, and watched me as I put paper plates into the bag, and wine glasses onto the tray. When I turned to leave, our eyes locked. I stopped, and hesitantly waved at him. He sleepily waved back, and stretched his entire body like a cat. He let the back of his hand fall over his eyes, and said,

"Hey…Roxas…" He seemed to purr my name. "Meet me out front when you're done."

"Yes, sir."

(...)

Now here I am, waiting on the front steps of the mansion. Almost all of the butlers have left, except for Zexion, Xion, and I. Though last I saw them, Zexion was finishing up with the kitchen and Xion was doing something in the dressing room. They could've gone by now…

A quick look at my watch tells me it's a few minutes past nine. Today, my shift at McDonalds starts at two and ends at seven. I sigh when I realize I haven't told DiZ that I dropped out of school. I run my hand over my face, and groan.

"Stressed?" A familiar voice asks.

I jump in surprise, and turn toward a slate blue haired man in black pants, and a dark blue button up shirt. Zexion holds a cigarette up in front of me. I drop my mouth in surprise, and start mumbling apologies for getting surprised. He slips the cigarette in at the right time, just as my lips are parted enough. He lights it with his lighter like last night. My eyes droop as I take in a puff. But then when I look back up at Zexion, he's gone. I turn toward the driveway and see him walking to a Lexus LS 460, a simple car that I could imagine him driving.

"Zexion!" I call. He looks at me just as he opens the door. "Thanks for your help!"

He simply nods, climbs into his car, and pulls out of the driveway. I put all of my attention to the cigarette that warms up my body on this windy Autumn morning.

A few minutes pass until I hear the front door open and close. When I turn my head to look, I bump my face into a hard chest. I take a step back in surprise and almost fall off a stair, but my boss catches me by placing a hand on the small of my back. He balances me and pats me on the shoulder.

"Did you sneak some liquor while working?"

My eyes widen, and, not sure if he's joking, I reply, "N-no, sir!"

Axel lets out a laugh, something between a cackle and a chuckle. That description sounds ugly, but it actually sounds quite nice in person. I smile at him throw his head back and squeeze my shoulder a little. When it fades away, he smirks at me. It, and his hand on my shoulder, slips away when his acid green eyes move to the stick between my lips.

"You smoke? You don't seem like a smoker."

"Oh…" I pull the cigarette out and look at it, as if I had just noticed too. "I actually just started…last night. You know, I was stressed…"

"Really…?" He turns his head toward the small garden near the stairs. An awkward tension fills the air. Just as I'm about to clear my throat and ask why he wanted to meet me, he continues, "I saw you last night. You looked pretty good, like you belonged here…"

I look toward him, trying to read his expression, but it's so focused on those flowers, I can't really tell what he's thinking. He chuckles lightly, and says, "Marluxia's really good at gardening."

I nod, "He is. I've never seen such beautiful flowers…well, my mom's are nice but she's stopped taking care of them."

"Busy?"

"Mmhm…"

Another awkward silence, one that I feel like I made from my dead end response.

"So…yeah…just wanted to tell you that you did well. Here's your pay: ten dollars an hour, as promised." He hands me a hundred dollar bill, and three tens. "Plus, you've got your tips. I bet you got a lot. Did anyone reserve you yet?"

"No," I answer as I stuff the bills into my pocket, deciding to leave the Xemnas incident out.

"Okay, well, see you next Saturday…right?" He asks as he retreats up the steps.

"Y-yeah," I turn to watch him leave.

He flashes that smirk again. "Good…oh, and Roxas?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Call me Axel…You do know you don't need cigarettes to relieve stress…You should try having something else in your mouth."

I can feel the blush grow on my face. "E-Excuse me?"

"Like gum." He winks at me, and heads back inside.

(...)

"Where have you been? !" Sora shouts as I close the front door behind me.

"I was working."

"McDonalds doesn't let you work past ten."

"I found another job." I begin to head up the stairs.

"Doing what?" He follows me.

"Making munny."

He gasps, "You're making counterfeit munny? !"

I sigh, "No, dummy…I'm…" I finally reach my bedroom. I quickly open the door, slip in, and close it before Sora can get in. "Sorry, gotta get ready for work."

Through the door, I hear Sora sigh, and say, "So you've got two jobs?"

"Yeah, but they're both easy, so don't worry about it." I reply as I rip off my clothes to take a shower.

"Oh, okay…Hey, can Riku come over to hang out?"

I make a gagging face from what they might do if they're alone. "Sure…"

That's when I realize that I might be doing things similar to what they do once I become reserved. Even worse, I'm doing it for munny. A horrified expression slips onto my face when I realize that I'm technically a prostitute.

"WHAT? !" I scream, unable to stop myself.

Sora knocks at my door, "Roxas, you okay?"

"U-uh, yeah…" Quick, think of an excuse. "I just saw my weight. I'm getting fat."

"Oh good, you've noticed. I didn't know how to tell you…"

My eyebrows furrow in confusion. I step up to the full length mirror on my wall and lift my shirt. I poke at my six pack. Could it possibly be turning into a six pack of Twinkies?

I shake my head and laugh. _Roxas, you're a sexy beast. Don't listen to Sora. He doesn't know what's hot. I mean, look at Riku_.

(...)

I can do this…This is nothing. There are worse things that I have to do than tell DiZ I've dropped out of school.

A pounding sensation fills my head when a realization hits me. I have to tell Sora too…Oh dear Kingdom Hearts, I have to tell Mom!

I've seen Mom and Sora angry. It's like watching a Moogle be angry. They're usually cheerful, simple-minded creatures, only wanting some munny. But imagine one of those angry. Imagine it pouting, trying to look as angry as possible, but eventually, it sighs, and moves on. Mom and Sora don't let things bother them for long. I've always admired that about them. In some situations, they take control, yes, but still…anger cannot control them for long.

I wonder if DiZ is the same way…I wonder if he'd ever be angry in the first place.

"DiZ…" I say as I knock on the door frame of his office.

He looks up from some papers on his desk, "Yes?"

I take in a deep breath, and look him straight in his amber gold eyes. "I dropped out of school."

For a second, he's expressionless. Then, he puts his elbows on his desk, and rests his face in his hands. He rubs his face, and then interlocks his hands, regaining his formal composure.

"Very well…I suppose you'd want to work full-time then."

"Yes, sir. If it's okay with you, I'd like to work on Sunday through Thursday, but have Friday and Saturday free."

"I suppose I could make that work, but only for you, Roxas."

"Thank you, DiZ." I smile, and walk away from the office.

**A/N: Yeah…that last section was a little…meh. I put the Moogle part in just to sort of describe Sora and his Mom when they're angry. I don't know if I did it well. And after Roxas left DiZ's office, I was going to have him stay close enough to listen and hear DiZ curse and punch the table but McDonald's too small. They'd hear. Usually the office is small and in a corner of the section behind the counter.**

"**He lights it with his lighter like last night.". That's my favorite line in this chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Square Enix, Disney, McDonalds, Ford, Dodge, or eHow where I learned about proper makeup contrasting because I know absolutely nothing about it.**

**HEY. READ: I have changed the POV. Regular Narration, I suppose.**

We are two halves, you and I.

Together, we make one.

I would do anything for you.

It is what must be done.

Because you are the better half, Sora,

And I am only Roxas.

(...)

"Why do you think this?" Someone mutters into the darkness of Roxas' bedroom. A young lady sits on the edge of his bed, beside the sleeping blonde. She brushes his gold locks away from his closed eyes, and continues, speaking with a quiet voice, "I know that it's true, but…it shouldn't be. No one deserves to be a sacrificial pawn…"

The young lady lifts her head, looking up to the window that lets the moonlight in. The light shines enough to dimly radiate herself and Roxas. She has a solemn expression on her face as she returns her gaze to Roxas.

"…Especially us."

(...)

_Hold me~ Whatever lies beyond this morning~ Is a little later on~_

Roxas grunts as he searches around for his phone. When he does, he shuts the alarm off and slips out of bed, making his way to the bathroom.

_I'm getting really tired of that girl. _He thinks to himself as he turns on the shower. _I didn't even know her before that one dream, and now she's everywhere. How does someone you don't know get into your dreams?_

He sighs as he scrubs shampoo into his hair. _Maybe I'm just going crazy…_ He turns toward the water, and lowers his head, watching the shampoo suds slide down his body, onto the floor of the tub, and down the faucet. It calms him, makes him think straight. _I know how to fix this. Next time I see her, I'll confront her. I'm not playing her game anymore._

(...)

"Roxas!" The yell for the blonde stops him from climbing into his car after his first official work day at McDonalds. He turns around, just as Sora and Riku stop in front of him from hurrying across the parking lot. Sora smiles, having been the one that had called him, "Hey, Roxas, where were ya today? I didn't see you at school."

"Oh…" Roxas scratches the back of his head, and looks to the side. "Well…I have actually been meaning to tell you…"

The smile from Sora's lightly tanned face slips away, replaced by one of confusion. "Wait…why were you here at work?"

"I was working." He states the obvious since that's the only thing he'd do at work. He would **not** be eating here. He knows what goes on behind the counter…

"But they don't let you work this early." His twin stares at him, eyebrows raised high up above those sky blue orbs.

"I dropped out of school." Roxas says bluntly.

Those orbs, the ones that flourish with life like the bright sky, they widen in surprise. They stare at Roxas with mixed feelings of surprise, confusion, and betrayal. Roxas keeps the eye contact, his expression fierce and determined like always. Soon, Sora shakes his head and lowers his gaze, staring at Roxas' big shoes.

Roxas can't help but scowl at the sight before him. It reminds him too much of **that girl, t**he one who was so weak and cowardly that she couldn't even keep eye contact with him, much less have a decent conversation, despite barging into his life and practically ruining it.

Okay, he might've gone a little far with that thought, but still…he needed eye contact. It just made him feel like there were no lies in what the person was saying if they looked him dead in the eye. And also, not being able to look someone in the eye shows submission. He didn't want to see that in his twin. Roxas knew that Sora was a strong young man, always ready to fight for his friends, family, and even strangers he had just met. Still, he often came off as a naïve pushover and was often taken advantage of. Roxas was not like that at all. He never fell for someone's tricks, and outwardly barked at the perpetrator for trying to mess with his head.

He grits his teeth. Damn that girl! He should've done that to her by now. He's been so much unlike himself lately…

"Roxas…" His brother's voice shakes him out of his thoughts. He looks to see Sora glaring at him with eyes now the color of the dark ocean, eyebrows furrowed, and white canine teeth shining as he opens his mouth to yell, "How could you! ? You're such a hypocrite! You did exactly what you forbade me to do! I had wanted to do it so you wouldn't drop out, but it happened anyway!" His fists clench and tremble at his side.

"I'd rather this happen to me than to you, Sora."

Immediately, Sora's whole body relaxes, his shoulders sagging, his hands loosening, and a frown replacing the scowl. "That's not right. That's so wrong…in so many ways…Why do you think you have to sacrifice yourself for someone, especially one who doesn't want to be saved? I want to help you for once. I'm tired of being something you need to protect."

Roxas shakes his head, "Sora, I don't mind. I'm doing this so you don't have to, so you can stay in school and make a better life for yourself." The brunette doesn't seem to be affected much by his twin's words, so Roxas places a hand on his shoulder, steps closer, and smiles warmly, "You have to, Sora. You have so much potential. Don't let it be wasted."

"You can't do this to yourself." Sora says weakly. "You have potential too, Roxas."

"It doesn't matter; I have to do this. I may be your twin, but I'm completely different from you. With our differences, we have a different fate. You," His grip on Sora's shoulder tightens. "You are bound for greatness. I'm just here to help you get there. You're making my job a little hard though, so…how about you just stay in school, have some fun, and let me do what has to be done?" A weak, sort of sad, chuckle escapes his lips. Roxas always became a little melancholy when it came to his brother. Just the thought of anything bad happening to him, even a paper cut, made him suddenly depressed.

He pats his twin's shoulder, waves goodbye to Riku behind him, who had respectively remained silent the whole time, and climbs into his Ford Escort. Within seconds, Roxas was gone. Riku stares at Sora's back, hoping that maybe he could tell what the brunette was thinking by his body language. His body is relaxed, like it usually is. It seemed like he didn't have a care in the world, like so many people thought. Riku had known Sora since they were children though. He knew the hardships his family went through, and that it affected Sora greatly.

Sora turns toward Riku, a fake smile plastered on his face. Green looks deep into blue, searching them for any response to what his brother had said and done. Those eyes, sky blue again, just shine with the happiness that was usually there. Still, Riku notices the glassiness of his eyes, ready to overflow with tears.

"Roxas is right! I should be having fun! So, what do you wanna do, Riku?" He begins to walk toward the elder's dark blue Ford Mustang.

"There's a place I wanna show you." Riku says, and follows Sora to the car.

Once they were both buckled in, Riku turns on the car, and pulls out of McDonalds. A few minutes of the radio faintly playing some pop song later, Sora finally pipes up,

"So, where are we going?"

There wasn't even a warning on Riku's face. Sora would've never been able to tell that he was going to do what he did by facial expressions.

Riku just suddenly pulled the emergency break, and drifted into a side street. Sora didn't even have the chance to react. An '_ah'_ just escaped his lips as he was pushed against the passenger seat by the force of the turn.

Immediately, Riku climbs out of the car and begins to walk around the front to get to Sora's side. The brunette begins to get out to confront him. He stands up straight, hand on the car door.

"Hey, what's wrong with yo-"

"Stop it." Riku says, deep and stern, making Sora shut his mouth. The taller grabs the front of Sora's shirt, gripping it in his fists. "Cry."

"What?" Sora asks in surprise.

"Cry."

"No, what're you do-" He's interrupted again when Riku pushes him against the door behind the passenger one. He does so roughly, making Sora inhale sharply. "Ri-Riku, please."

"Stop holding it in and pretending it's nothing, Sora. You need to cry. You'll get sick again if you don't."

Sora's eyes widen, immediately looking into Riku's light green ones. "Wha-what?"

For a second, Riku's grip on Sora loosens, those shocked orbs of blue making his stomach churn. He didn't want to hurt his friend, this probably wasn't a good way to express his intentions, but he needed to cry. He **had **to. If he didn't, it'd build up inside him and make him ill.

Riku remembered when Sora would get sick and Riku would visit. Sora would try to act like he was fine, but Riku could tell from the dark circles under his eyes, the redness of them, and his weak limbs. He'd literally get sick whenever he held in his sadness.

The only way Riku found this out was when Sora was sick for a week, the longest he's ever been. Riku asked his best friend what was wrong. That's all he said: "What's wrong?" And Sora burst out crying.

It happens to many when something is bothering them. Someone asks them if they're okay and they just burst out crying, having been reminded of all the things bothering them.

After calming the brunette down, Sora confessed that Roxas had gotten a job. He said nothing else as the silver haired boy held him and let him cry. Afterwards, Sora suddenly became healthy again and they acted as if nothing happened.

Now, he knows when Sora is sad. Practically nobody else does, despite the fact that he hides it badly. Kairi notices sometimes, but Sora always reassures her that he's fine. Even if he told her, she couldn't do anything about it.

Riku knows that Sora has to let out these sad feelings for him to get better, but the best person for him to do this with is Riku. Riku is the only one that understands Sora this much. Riku is the only one that loves Sora this much. Riku is the only one for Sora, period.

A faint blush creeps onto the teen's face at these thoughts. Where the heck did that come from?

"Sora," He looks into the other's eyes, forcing himself to forget those thoughts for a second.

Sora tries to look away, but Riku grips his chin, making him look at him. The sky blue eyes turn glassy, tears threatening to spill. Riku slowly lets go, taking a step back as Sora lowers his head, and wraps his arms around Riku in a hug. He hugs him back, placing one hand on his spiky brown hair and the other on the top of his back. They stand there for a few seconds until Sora mumbles his confession,

"Roxas is giving up his life for me."

Trashcans clattering to the floor pull them apart from each other. Cats wail in agony from the surprise, upset that it had either awoken them from a nap or scared a rat away. Sora chuckles lightly, wiping away the tears on his face. He looks up at Riku, smiles a legitimate smile, and says,

"So, wanna go play some video games? Bet I'll bet ya."

Riku laughs and ruffles the shorter one's hair. "Yeah, right!"

They climb back into the car, their usual happy vibe returning. They pull out of the side street and head to Riku's house, leaving behind a young lady, her back against a brick wall. She peers out around the corner, looking to the side street the two teens had once stood in. She had jumped around the corner and hidden when she accidentally kicked the trashcan in rage to find out what Roxas had done. She curses under her breath and tries to calm her nerves. She needs to learn how to channel her anger better. Maybe she should start punching and kicking these kids instead of those hospital wall bucket things and alley trashcans.

"No," She mutters as she steps away from the wall. "That'll defeat the purpose of my mission." She laughs, forgetting her worries for a second, and clenches her fists before her, looking as if she's ready to fight. "Right, my mission! I can't let the boss down!" She sprints out of the side street, canine teeth flashing in her grin. "I can't let Roxas down either!"

(...)

"_A-AHHH!" Roxas screams as shards of glass stick out from his soap covered hand._

_He steps back from the sink, staring at the blood mixing with dish water._

"_Roxas!" Xion whines, tears strolling down her cheeks._

_Roxas falls onto the floor, back against the counter. He's at a loss for air, taking deep, desperate breaths. His vision becomes blurry, and his eyes struggle to stay open. Xion kneels beside him, screaming for help. The other's come in, all in shock at the sight before them. Axel steps forward, kneeling beside Roxas._

"_Roxas! No!" He screams, throwing his head back in agony. "WHYYYYYYYYY! ?"_

_Finally, Roxas' eyes slowly shut, Zexion's advice floating around in his mind, "Don't shove your hand inside."_

"Don't you think you're over exaggerating?"

"Of course, but you have to consider the worst possible situation."

Roxas shakes his head and continues to wash the dishes. Zexion continues,

"Just don't shove your hands too far inside the large glasses. The pressure from inside will make them burst and you'll get cut."

"Okay, okay. I'll be careful, Zexion."

The elder nods, "Oh, and we're missing a few things. I need you to go to the store and buy them. Here's the list, and enough munny to cover it." He shoves the items into Roxas' pocket.

The blonde stares up at him in shock, not at his actions, but at his order. "What if someone sees me?"

"What do you mean?" Zexion tilts his head in confusion.

Roxas steps back from the sink and gestures to the uniform his bosses had picked for them tonight. It's the same uniform as last night, but now, Roxas looks like a girl attempting to dress like a boy. With the help of Xion, his eyes look bigger and a darker shade of blue, his lips a shinier pink, he has a cute, little pin in his hair, and he seems to have a hint of breasts. At first, Roxas refused to let Xion put a sports bra filled with bean bags on him. She convinced him to do it when she reminded him that everyone else was doing it. Who knew that line could work?

Axel decided this would be a good step to make Roxas become more accustomed to the job. First, a regular male butler outfit, then a girl in a male butler outfit, and then…well, Roxas has a faint idea. Even though this is Axel's way of easing the newbie into the job, Roxas didn't like it. He didn't want to become some reverse cross dresser. What is it called when a boy dresses like a girl who dresses like a boy? !

"People will think I'm a freak! And if I run into someone I know, I'll never live it down!"

"You'll never live down losing this job. Which is worse? Choose wisely, Roxas."

The blonde scowls, realizing the pay is so good that getting a little humiliated is just a little sacrifice. He shouldn't really complain about the uniform; it actually looked quite attractive on him.

Wait…uniform, attractive, humiliation.

All these things made him remember Marluxia and the rules his flamboyant boss had told him the day of his interview!

"The uniform can't leave the house! I'll get fired if I go anywhere but here in it." Roxas says, excitement overflowing when he realizes that he's outsmarted the elder of the butlers. "That's a rule, isn't it?"

Zexion's eyes narrow. He opens his mouth, ready to snap something back, but is interrupted by a long, slender arm plopping down around Roxas' shoulders. The blonde looks up at a fiery-red haired man.

"Zexion knows that. He was just testing you, Roxas. You pass." Axel smirks down at Roxas, and then turns his gaze to Zexion. His face hardens, "I'll go with him, okay?"

The blunette just nods. Axel leads Roxas out of the room, patting Zexion's shoulder as they walk past. Zexion keeps his eyes locked in front of him, and waits until they're gone. Then his cobalt blue eyes wander up, and meet sea green ones, the only other pair of eyes in the room right now.

"Roxas outsmarted you once, so what?" Demyx shrugs, getting right to the point. "It happens to everyone eventually, but you," He pokes Zexion in the chest, fingertip hitting a bean bag, and making the dirty blonde chuckle, but he becomes serious once again to continue, "You've never had this happen before; usually you're the one outsmarting."

"Are you rubbing it in?" Zexion snarls.

"No, I'm reminding you. Everyone makes mistakes and has flaws, especially me, right?" Demyx jokes. Zexion silently shakes his head, completely disagreeing, but the other ignores it. "So, don't put too much thought into that little mess up. The pros of Zexion outweigh the cons."

Zexion looks up at Demyx, the latter grinning down at him. He looks alright as a girl. Xion made his green eyes pop with a brown eye liner and light brown eye shadow. The eye shadow is barely noticeable but it helps a lot. The mullet/mohawk sort of makes him look like a lesbian though…

Zexion stifles back a laugh at that. They probably all do, but still, Zexion can't stop staring into Demyx's eyes.

"Hey, quit staring. You need to get in the zone for work." Demyx says, snapping the shorter one out of his thoughts.

"What? Since when did you care about work?"

"I always have!" Demyx playfully slaps Zexion's arm, but instead of letting his hand fall to the side afterwards, he lets it stay on his arm. He lets it wander down to the small of Zexion's back, and steps closer, pulling the other closer to him as well.

"Liar…" Zexion places his hand on Demyx's chest, and grumbles, "You lazy liar…"

"I know. I hate work." Demyx places a chaste kiss on Zexion's lips, careful not to smear the lip gloss. "I hate this job especially."

Zexion's hand on Demyx tightens, gripping the tux in his fist. He hates the job too, but they both need it. Watching Zexion be in the arms of another was the price to pay for them to survive. Demyx holds Zexion tighter, his lips burying into his navy blue hair.

Neither of them wanted to let go. Neither of them wanted to get to work. Neither of them wanted to watch the other suffer.

Still, it was a sacrifice they needed to make.

(...)

"Roxas!" At first, he hears the faint calling of his name. Then, he hears it again, except with the rough shaking of his shoulder. "Roxas!"

"Huh? ! What? !" Roxas shoots up in his passenger seat, looking around to realize that he's in Axel's car: a black Dodge Challenger.

"Are you okay? You just zoned out, and while I was talking too." Axel explains with a pout at the last sentence.

"Sorry, I was just thinking…"

"Really? It takes so much effort for you to think that you just shut down? Do you overheat from the effort?" Axel let out a laugh that sent his head back. When he stopped, he peeks at Roxas and notices that he's just staring forward, a scowl on his face. "Sorry, Roxas, I was just joking."

"Yeah, I know…" Roxas sighs, and rubs the back of his neck.

"Hey, what's wrong? If it's about Zexion, don't worry. There's a fifty-fifty chance of him moving on, which are good odds. You should actually be pretty excited right now. I've never seen anyone outsmart him, especially over simple job rules."

"Oh, well, I'll apologize to him later. I didn't mean to offend him. I just really didn't want to be seen like this."

"Why not? You look nice." Axel mutters.

Roxas turns his head to look at his boss. He's just focused on the road though, the smile that was on his face gone and replaced with a serious one. "Thank you." He replies, almost whispering.

"So, do you wanna tell me what's bothering you for real? Zexion can't make you zone out so deeply."

"It's nothing, really. Just an argument I had with my brother." Roxas hesitates for a moment, carefully thinking out what he should say. "We fought last Monday, and he hasn't spoken to me since."

"Sibling trouble? I actually have a brother too, a twin, actually." Axel confesses.

"Really? Me too!"

"Wow, what a coincidence. Let's just hope we don't accidentally sleep with the wrong people."

Roxas laughs, "No, that could never happen to you. You'll be able to tell the difference. I don't know about your twin, but mine and I are exact opposites."

"How so?"

"He has brown hair and he's a little tanner too. Plus, he's cheerful, energetic, and just so full of life. I'm not like that anymore…I think when we were younger, we were exactly alike, but once we went through different situations, we just changed…" Roxas fumbles with the bottom of his vest as he speaks. "Him for the better, myself for the worst."

Immediately, Roxas regrets saying that. What propelled him to even say something like that? He figures it was because of the fact that Axel is always talking, and just having him silent for once made Roxas appreciate the moment and spill things. He frowns, upset with the messed up relationship he'll now have with his boss.

"Does your brother think that?"

"Wh-what? I think so."

"You have to be sure. You can't just assume things about him. It makes you do irreversible things." Axel chances a glance at Roxas, who's staring at him, paying full attention. "I assumed that my brother wasn't happy, did the same with my mom. I did something, thinking I could fix it. Now I'm stuck in Twilight Town, hosting gay parties every Friday night. I've hired a few people, made my house a hang out spot for some friends, most of them are Marluxia's, and just created something that I can't abandon. I could, maybe, but Marluxia always says that it's not the same without me. Plus, I owe that guy so much…" Axel parks in the parking lot of a general store. He turns off the car, and looks to Roxas, blue meeting green and staying that way.

"I've reached a dead end, Roxas, because I thought that I knew what was best for my family. I did things that kids my age wouldn't do. If you're in the same situation,…" Axel lets the sentence fade away, waiting for Roxas to confirm it.

Once the seventeen year old realizes this, he shakes his head and quickly climbs out of the car. "N-No, I'm fine! Come on, we've gotta get the items!" And with that, he hurries to the general store.

(...)

"Okay, so…we need…" Roxas pulls out the list Zexion gave him and reads it out loud to Axel. "Whipped cream, strawberries, wine, and…" His face turns redder than Axel's hair. He yelps, "Condoms?"

Axel bursts out laughing and pats his employee on the back. "Good thing I came. You're too young to buy wine."

"Axel…condoms!" He shouts in a whisper, waving the list in front of him.

"Yeah, I know. We might have to get different sizes. I know I need extra large." Axel says, and heads down an aisle, not even chuckling to signify that it was a joke.

All the blood that had rushed to Roxas' face in a blush has now flowed away, leaving him pale faced.

(...)

Roxas didn't think he'd never hear that voice again. He knew he'd run into the person eventually. He just didn't think it'd happen tonight.

"Roxas?"

The voice makes him stop dead in his tracks. Axel slows down, looking over his shoulder at the dirty blond a few feet behind Roxas. The boy, probably the same age as Roxas, calls him again,

"Roxas, is that you?"

Slowly, he turns, confronting the boy. "Hi, Hayner."

"What are you wearing? Actually, never mind. Where've you been?" Hayner steps closer to Roxas. "You've got Olette and Pence worried."

"But not you, right?" Roxas laughs weakly.

"Of course not." Hayner replies glumly, suddenly becoming interested in the canned soups on the shelves beside them. He shakes his head, snapping out of his mood. "Answer me. Where've you been?"

"Working...fulltime."

"But…that means…" Roxas can see Hayner slowly realizing things. Hayner scowls and grabs Roxas' arm. "What the hell's wrong with you? !"

"Hey," Axel snaps, and steps forward to help Roxas.

He stops when Roxas says, "I'm fine, Axel.

"Hayner, I can't explain right now."

"You don't have to. I'm not Pence, Roxas; I can figure things out on my own." He lets go of his old friend. "I know what you've done."

"Tell them I'm sorry for me?"

"And what about me?"

Roxas lowers his head, and wraps his arms around Hayner in a tight hug. "I'm sorry, Hayner, but…thank you…for always sticking by me. Don't tell the others, but I'll miss you the most." He whispers, barely loud enough for Hayner to hear. He catches it though, and hangs on with all his might, just like he is now with Roxas.

Why does this kid have to play with Hayner's heart like that? Just a simple goodbye would've made it easier to forget him, but just confessing that he'll miss him the most out of their group of friends will make Hayner wonder for the rest of his life if Roxas ever had certain feelings for him. Hayner had a faint hint of special affections for Roxas, never becoming stronger due to his friend's constant disappearances. It made him think that Roxas didn't care enough about him in that way; if he did, he would've wanted to spend more time with him. Hayner knows though that with Roxas, he'd give up anything for his family. Friends came second to family. Hayner could respect that, even if it hurt.

It hurt even more now to let go of his best friend. He had expected to do this in two years, after graduation, not on a Friday night in their local general store.

Hayner slowly lets Roxas go, taking one last look at his glassy, sapphire blue eyes, threatening to overflow with tears. They held so much more beauty than his own ordinary brown ones.

Roxas smiles weakly, and takes a step back, hanging onto Hayner's hands for a second. At this distance, Hayner observes Roxas' appearance more. The blond actually looks cute with a faint hint of makeup, enough to make his best features pop out: those enticing eyes and luscious lips. Still, Hayner would rather see a little dirt on that face from a good Struggle match.

He realizes that from now on, Roxas would be going through harder things than school and Struggle matches. Hayner reluctantly takes his hands away and softly ruffles the other one's hair, grinning as he does so.

"Be careful, Roxas."

Those blue eyes widen in surprise for a second, but he quickly regains composure. He nods, a stern face of determination now replacing the sadness. He turns and joins Axel, confirming that he is alright when the older man asks. Together, they begin to walk away from Hayner. For a second, he spots something in their basket: some whipped cream, condoms, and other things he can't quite see. He scowls, the thought of that repulsive man doing anything to his best—former—friend making him sick.

Before he can do anything about it, a sweet, smooth voice stops him,

"Hayner?"

"Yeah," He turns to Olette, who had called him, and their friend, Pence. "I'm coming."

He steps up to his friends, and despite the terrible urge to, he doesn't look back.

However, down the aisle, just as Axel and Roxas make a turn, Roxas looks over his shoulder, and takes in the last time he will ever see his friends.

(...)

**A/N: Please Read.**

**Thank you for your reviews! And for staying loyal! I'm sorry for taking so long to update!**

**Joxas: Yes, this is far from over.**

**AikoRose: I'm glad I updated it in time to cheer you up! I hate dentists! The worse I've had are cleanings though. When they attempted to fix one of my cavities, which I rarely get, I ran out of the room, refusing for them to get near my mouth with a NEEDLE. O_O" And thank you. You're review DID make your thoughts clearer. I hope there were parts in here that you enjoyed.**

**mudkipluvr4ever and robotmonkeys: Thank you for telling me what parts you liked. I hope you found more in this chapter.**

**Random things I must mention about this chapter:**

**I hope you guys are noticing the "Be careful, Roxas." moments.**

**I do NOT know the word for those hospital wall folder things.**

**Does anyone else cry when someone asks if they're okay or what's wrong?**

**You have witnessed the introduction of the Zemyx side pairing which will one day have a side story! Please comment on it! And also on the side SoRiku!**

**Okay, so I've been researching and I've realized that I didn't portray Sora and Roxas correctly. There's more to them than smiles and frowns. I think I did better in this chapter, since I finally feel…here.**

**Do you like the new POV? I plan to keep it like that, I think…**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Any readers that read this story before the 16th of July during 2013 need to reread the story, because I've made significant changes. I hope it's not a problem, many of you have probably forgotten the plot since the last time I've updated so maybe it'd be nice to reread.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney, or Square Enix.**

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><p>It's the end of another hot summer day as the sun sets over Twilight Town. Cheers and grunts can be heard from the sandlot as two rivals bash foam bats against each other to collect more of the opponents orbs than the other. Seconds tick away until the match finally ends, and a dirty blond celebrates his victory, having collected the orb just in time to break the tie.<p>

"You did it!" A brunette yells as she hugs the winner.

"Way to go!" His other friend, a slightly pudgy boy, says with a high-five.

A boy with spiked platinum blond hair steps up to the victor and smiles. "You were amazing, Hayner. You sure showed Seifer."

The mentioned loser groans, "Whatever, it was luck. I'll get you next time, Lamer." Seifer scoffs and wipes sweat from the scar trailing between his eyebrows as he heads back to Fuu and Rai.

Hayner grins proudly and lifts his arms to flex. "I bet I was pretty impressive, huh, Roxas?"

The blond nods, "Yeah, but probably not to any girls, hotshot."

"Hey, I'm a girl!" Olette objects.

"You don't count." Pence replies.

Hayner shrugs, and turns his hazel eyes to Roxas. "That's alright. As long as I impressed you." He stutters when he realizes how he must have sounded. "..Y-you guys. As long as I impressed you guys."

Roxas smiles as Hayner changes the subject to getting ice cream to end the day, both wondering if the other caught that one moment.

_Roxas._

"Yeah, Hayner?" He looks to his best friend.

_Roxas._

Hayner just shrugs, and holds out a blue popsicle, Sea Salt flavor. Roxas reaches forward to take it, but-

_Roxas!_

"W-wah, I," Roxas shoots up, finding himself looking around in confusion once again.

"Wow, am I really that boring?" Axel asks, looking at Roxas in annoyance.

"No, I just.." Roxas sighs. "I'm just tired. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"It looked like you were daydreaming, actually."

"Yeah, I was...I was thinking about Hayner, the boy you met at the store. He's my best friend. Well, not anymore. So I should just forget him, right?" Roxas runs his hand through his spikes and sighs as he looks around. "Where are we?"

"I had to pull over." Axel lets his hands fall from the steering wheel and onto his lap. "Not anymore?"

Roxas looks to Axel and nods, "We just drifted."

"Okay," Axel studies Roxas' face for a second, and continues, "So this place sells ice cream, I thought maybe you'd want some and just try to get your head straight."

"Oh.." Roxas hesitates for a moment but agrees, wondering if Axel knew the place he took him was the same one he'd go to with Hayner and the others.

But of course he wouldn't.

(...)

"So what's bugging you? You're more quiet than usual." Axel asks after a few minutes of sitting on the trunk of his car in silence.

"Nothing, I'm always this quiet." Roxas replies.

"Yeah, but you don't usually look this glum."

"It's nothing. Thanks for the ice cream."

"No problem." Axel turns his attention to his ice cream but only for a few seconds, until he asks, "How'd you two drift away?"

Roxas sighs. "Don't you think that's a bit personal to ask an employee?"

"True, but I'm not your boss right now. I'm a concerned friend who gave you a ride for an errand and then decided to treat you to ice cream."

"Friend?"

"Yeah. Aren't we?"

"I guess so.." Roxas fiddles with his bare popsicle stick. "Um, I just grew up more quickly. I had more responsibilities that needed more of my time...I never got to explain it to him, to any of my friends, actually, not even my girlfriend. I just stopped meeting up with them, stopped talking to them, and I guess they eventually understood that I had other things that came before them. So my girlfriend broke up with me. My friends still invited me places, but they weren't as disappointed when I didn't show. I began to drift.." He glances at Axel who stares back with an emotionless expression, waiting until he's finished. "I chose family before my friends. It's the right choice, but I still miss them sometimes. I miss spending long summer days with them, playing Struggle, eating ice cream at the end of the day. I miss being a kid." He doesn't realize that he'd been bending the stick until it snaps in his grip. "But I know...in the end, it'll be worth it."

"I hope so." Axel mutters.

"Yeah? Must've been easier for you though, huh? Or do you have some backstory to why you're here too?"

"I do, actually. But that's for another night, wouldn't you agree?" Axel slides off of the trunk and steps in front of Roxas. Extending a hand, he continues, "For tonight, though, let us return to the ball."

"The gay ball with gay princes and gay butlers."

"Exactly."

Roxas shakes his head and chuckles as he takes the redhead's hand. "Anything for the munny."

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><p><strong>AN: **

**Okay, I'm sorry that I haven't updated since...exactly a year? Is it actually exactly a year? **

**I'm so sorry.**

**I'm sorry that this chapter is short, but I had to spit out something to get the gears oiled up. I'll be updating more now. If I don't, you are so very allowed to flame me.**

**I'm sorry that I used the daydream thing twice, but Roxas is just really stressed and tired, okay? Plus it was to annoy Axel.**

**I'm sorry that I took forever to update. You really don't know what kind of year I've been having.**

**I'm so sorry to everyone for everything! I hope you accept my apologies.**

**Thank you for reading this. Thank you for your loyalty. Thank you for the reviews. And thank you for any new readers.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or Square Enix.**

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><p><em>"You just need one."<em>

Roxas scans the room as men converse and pick the snacks off of his platter.

_"A loyal party goer, preferably one who's in a business deal with Marluxia. You'll be like a bond between him and Marluxia."_

His eyes lock on a man probably more than twice his age. He stands tall in his black tuxedo, chin held high and a sly smirk shining. His black hair is brushed back, stopping at the base of his neck. Roxas watches out of the corner of his eye and waits until the right moment to move. When there's just two of them talking, Roxas strolls over and holds up his platter, simply muttering the name of the snack.

_"The man that needs to reserve you is in charge of this huge arsenal trading service, along with this other guy."_

He looks up while keeping his head down, locking eyes with the man who must be the business partner, a man with long dreads and intricate facial hair. He glances to the other, the one he'd come to speak to. Upon looking into his light amber eyes, the taller man's smirk grows.

_"Marluxia needs to keep him close. That's where you come in. He reserves you, you make him happy, and he's happy with Marluxia."_

_Roxas nods, picking up his platter and heading out of the kitchen with Axel beside him. They stop before a crowd full of elegant black and white suits. Roxas takes a shaky breath in and tries to steady it as he lets it out. He's still nervous, even on his second night. Though he might be nervous for many nights. This is a hard thing to get used to._

_Axel pats his shoulder and gives a reassuring smile. "You'll be fine."_

_Roxas smiles back weakly, "What's his name?"_

"Braig." The man says, and nods at the other as he excuses himself. "And you are?"

"Roxas, sir."

"Nice to meet you, Roxas." Braig shakes Roxas' free hand. "How about we sit down?"

"I-I'd like that, sir." Roxas clears his throat and begins to follow the man to a sofa.

"Have a drink. Don't choke." Braig chuckles softly, as if he made some secret joke. He takes two glasses of wine from a table and hands one to the younger. "And don't call me sir, I'm not an old man."

"Sorry, um..Braig."

"That's better." He smirks, and toasts their glasses.

(...)

"Ding-dong-ding-dong~" Roxas chimes quietly with the grandfather clock as it strikes twelve.

Nearly an hour had passed and Roxas and Braig spent it drinking wine, eating snacks, and simply talking. Every once in a while, Braig would sneak his hand places that'd make Roxas a little uncomfortable, but the older man seemed to like waiting, or as he'd put it: 'teasing'.

In the beginning, Roxas was tense and Braig took note of it, thus encouraging him to drink and more. He was polite, encouraging simple talk of how the other's day was and such. Roxas loosened up a bit eventually, even surprising Braig with a joke or two.

"You're funny." Braig says as his laughter fades. "And actually...quite innocent. Usually by now, the butler would be quite touchy with me."

"You've had other butlers, huh? And gotten them tipsy?"

"Haven't you had other guests?" Braig asks, turning towards Roxas and resting his arm on top of the sofa with his hand holding his head up.

Roxas shakes his head, and leans back. "I've talked to others, but haven't been like this."

"Wow, so I'm a first."

"I guess." Roxas smiles and holds up the last snack, something that looks like a cracker topped with goo, but is actually quite delicious. "Oh no, last one, do you want it?"

"No, you can have it, kiddo." Braig smiles, and takes the platter from Roxas' lap. "How about I get more?"

Roxas nods, and places his hand over his mouth to avoid looking rude with a stuffed mouth.

"Hey, Roxas." A voice behind him whispers. He almost chokes on his snack when he gasps in surprise with a full mouth. "Whoa, man, calm down." A hand slaps his back until he regains himself.

"A-Axel?" Roxas turns toward the smirking redhead. "What is it?"

"Just checking how you're doing."

"I'm fine. Braig is nice."

"Yeah, he seems like that at first. But don't get too comfortable. You know Demyx?" Axel asks, and waits until Roxas nods to continue, "Well, he was Braig's first reserved. The guy seemed nice, but Demyx started to have bruises after each party. Turns out Braig has some dangerous kinks. Demyx is pretty tough, but he couldn't really do anything back."

"And you let me try to get reserved by him? ?" Roxas asks in surprise, his buzz lifting.

"Yeah, because I knew you wouldn't let him get too far. Play hard to get. He'll enjoy the chase, but know how to let him never get tired of it and still want more, you know? You think you can handle it?"

"I think so..."

"Thanks." Axel stands up. "It means a lot, really. Don't worry. Nothing will happen to you."

"You promise?" Roxas looks up. Axel pauses as ocean blue meets acid green. For a moment, Roxas looks worried...and maybe even scared.

Axel bends over so he's eye to eye with Roxas. "I promise, Roxas. You'll never get hurt here."

Roxas takes a breath in, but it's steady and confident. "Thank you."

He smirks. "Unless you like getting a little hurt."

Roxas slaps his boss' shoulder softly. "No, perv."

"You heard him, he said no." Braig says as he steps up to Axel with a platter filled with more snacks.

Axel stands up, straightening his suit, and suddenly, adapts a regal air to him. "Hello, Braig."

"Axel, I didn't know you associated with your butlers in this way."

"I don't, but I was just checking up on him. He's new at this, so we're still teaching him." Axel glances at Roxas, the corner of his lips lifting a bit.

Braig nods, "Yes, he mentioned that. He does seem to be doing well though. I am certainly pleased with him."

"Wonderful! Does that mean you considered reserving?"

"Well, I haven't really reserved since...what was his name? Danny?"

"Demyx," Axel replies, clearly trying to hide his distaste for the other. "His name is Demyx."

"Oh, yes, right." Braig nods, and Roxas catches the hint of a smile. It practically gives him chills how each word seems to slither from his mouth. "But this one shows promise."

"I'm sure he does. Well, I better leave you two alone. Marluxia is probably looking for me now."

"It was nice speaking with you." Braig says as Axel turns and slips into the crowd. He turns his attention back to Roxas. "I'd rather speak to you though."

Roxas forces a smile. "For a longer time than Demyx, I hope?"

(...)

For some reason, Braig seemed to like his response. He probably found it funny. Or maybe thought that Roxas was hinting at being stronger than his coworker. Roxas really hoped it was the former, though he didn't think it was funny. He found it terrible that Braig treated Demyx that way. What confused Roxas was why Demyx came back. The possibility of it happening again by Braig or some other guest would be enough to keep Roxas from returning. If Roxas were in that situation though, he'd probably stay because of his need of munny. He didn't really know Demyx enough to know his motive though.

With more wine and snacks, Braig grew fonder and fonder of Roxas. Then as the clock struck two, he reached over and wrote 'Braig' on Roxas' tag. Roxas looked up at Braig afterwards, and smiled.

"Thank you."

"I should be the one thanking you.." Braig's fingers wrap around Roxas' wrist, and he leans forward to whisper, "Can I do so...upstairs?"

"But I'm supposed to stay downstairs.." Roxas objects, subtly looking past the other's shoulder for Axel or Zexion.

"You're allowed to go if asked to by the one who's reserved you."

"Oh, I'm so tired though."

"You can rest in bed." Braig stands, holding tight onto Roxas, and begins to head out of the ball room.

Roxas searches for anyone who can help, and upon seeing everyone occupied, he begins to worry. He finds it hard to breathe, and could swear the room is spinning.

_No, this isn't going to happen. It can't. I never intended for it to go this far._ Roxas inhales sharply as he's pulled through the doors and up the stairs. _No. Please-_

"Oh! I'm sorry, man!" Someone says as they bump into Roxas, spilling something onto his suit. "Or..lady?" There's a chuckle. "Look at you, you're soaked. You better change before that suit makes you do crazy things."

Roxas looks up, barely seeing the other man or Braig in the dim hallway. The lights are off, since no one is supposed to even be up here. The only lights are from the ones coming through the slightly opened curtains, and they create shadows all throughout the hall. One falls over the man standing before Roxas, almost covering most of his face, except for his forehead and mouth.

"Cause it's drunk, ya know?" A smirk is seen through the darkness.

Braig scoffs and lets Roxas' hand go. "More like you're drunk. Why don't you watch where you're going?"

"Sorry, it's pretty dark in here."

"What are you even doing up here? You're not allowed here unless with an employee or one of the residents."

"I'm an exception." The man replies, his lips losing the smirk he previously had.

"Oh, why is that? Who are you?" Braig reaches forward to grab the man, but he steps out of his reach, and towards Roxas.

For a split moment, Roxas' eyes connect with another. Light blue like the underwater part of an iceberg. Near the edges of these eyes are tattoos, just a curved line on either side. The eyebrows above are furrowed but raise upon locking with Roxas'.

Time seems to stop for that moment, but quickly floods back as the man grabs Roxas and pulls him into an open room, locking the door behind them. The door shakes slightly as Braig bangs on it.

"Hey, open this door right now! Roxas, come out here!" He yells.

Inside the room, it's completely dark. Roxas reaches forward, trying to find a light-switch. Before he can, a hand covers his mouth, muffling the scream that escapes him.

_"I promise, Roxas."_

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><p><strong>I guess I'll leave it there.<strong>

**Leave reviews on what you thought of this chapter please. Also, any predictions, I suppose?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Square Enix, or Disney.**

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><p><em>"You promise?"<em>

_"I promise, Roxas. You'll never get hurt here."_

_Could you tell? I was so scared. Some part of me was still innocent, thinking all I had to do at this job was hold up a plate of snacks and smile. I didn't think this would happen to me. I was so scared then, and even more now._

_Did you tell Demyx the same thing? Then did he later find himself getting dragged to a room by that freak? !_

The hand is taken away from Roxas' face. He let's out a shaky breath, putting his face in his trembling hands.

_That's exactly what must have happened, and Axel was going to let it happen to me too._

The lights are flicked on, and Roxas lifts his head as the man who'd saved him from Braig turns toward him, eyes focused on the carpet before Roxas.

"Y-you.."

_I ended up with a worst freak than the first. This guy. No, this girl, who just for the moment looked like a guy..? Ugh, the gender doesn't even matter. Just that this freak keeps bothering me._

_But what does he even want?_

"When I open the door, head for the kitchen, and don't leave until Axel finds you, okay? Just do exactly that and everything will be fine. He'll help you."

"How?"

"Just trust me."

"Why should I trust you?" Roxas objects. "I don't even know you, but you seem to know everything about me. Who I am, where I work, what else?"

"Your father."

Roxas pauses. "What about him?"

"I know him. Very well."

"Tell me how. Right now." He mutters through gritted teeth.

"I can't. I'm not even supposed to mention him."

Roxas steps up to him in a second, and with all of his strength, ends up slamming him into the door. "Too bad! You brought him up! You're telling me about him right now!"

A frustrated huff leaves the man. Roxas looks up at him and the man, standing around a foot taller than him, looks back through red auburn locks of bangs that'd fallen forward. The man's long hair is still in that low ponytail, but his outfit's changed. He's now in a white button up shirt that's not tucked into his black slacks, and has an unbuttoned suit jacket. This all makes him look more masculine, but somewhat lanky. He shakes his head, focusing his gaze on the floor.

"I'm sorry, Roxas."

Roxas takes a step back, and stares at the man with anger burning in his eyes. Silence fills the room, making Roxas realize that Braig had stopped banging on the door.

"Thank you...for saving me from Braig. But don't ever talk to me again. I don't want to see you, ever again." Roxas says. The man lifts his head, locking eyes without hesitation. "Please."

"But, Roxas-"

"No, I can't take this anymore. All of this." Roxas quickly unlocks the door, and runs into the hall.

The man follows and calls after him. "Roxas, wait!" When it's obvious that he won't, the man stops and sighs, "My name is Reno. Your father...is my boss, but I can't tell you what he's hired me for.."

Roxas slows down, and tries to process what the man has just said.

"Please, it's the truth."

Roxas shakes his head. "Goodbye, Reno."

* * *

><p>Since his outfit is soaked with alcohol, he figures the best place to go is the kitchen and ask someone for help. He doesn't go because Reno-if that is his real name-told him so. It's just the best place to go. He wouldn't want to return to the ballroom and run into Braig. Speaking of Braig, Roxas wonders what happened to him.<p>

"Roxas!" Axel calls just as Roxas is about to enter the kitchen. He speeds up his pace to reach him and rests a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong? What happened to your suit?" Roxas takes a step away, making Axel's hand slide off. Axel raises an eyebrow in confusion. "Are you alright, Roxas? Was it Braig?"

"Yeah, it was, and.." Roxas mutters. He stops, considering if he should tell Axel about Reno. If Reno does as Roxas said, and never shows up again, then he's not really a problem to bring up anymore. Plus Braig didn't see much of him, and couldn't describe him. But if he did, he'd probably end up describing Axel. Looking up at his boss now, he realizes how alike they are. Red hair, lanky figure, tattoos on their faces. This couldn't be a coincidence. "I'm fine now. Just a stain."

"It was? Someone told me something happened to you. Got me rushing here. Good thing it was just a stain, right? Maybe we can clean it a bit." Axel gestures toward the kitchen, and they both head in. "So did you get reserved?"

"Yeah, I did," Roxas pulls off his vest, and begins to unbutton his shirt. "But I'm not anymore. Axel, I don't think this is the right job for me."

Axel takes the shirt from Roxas and runs it under water, putting some dish soap on the stain. Roxas doubts that that'd actually help, but just lets him continue. "What's made you think that?"

"I'm just not brave enough to sleep with a stranger." Roxas admits as he pulls off the sports bra filled with bean bags.

Axel chuckles, "I like how you said brave, and not something like...slutty."

"Well, I was scared. Being brave would've meant me putting up with it and continuing."

"What happened with Braig anyway, Roxas? Was what happened to you about him, not the stain?"

"No, nothing happened." He sighs. "I just can't do this anymore."

"If he did something, you need to tell me. Before, you were pretty okay with this job." He lets the shirt fall into the sink and turns toward Roxas, drying his hands with a towel. "What changed your mind?"

"Nothing, I never wanted this job anyway. I don't even know why I'm here. I-" Roxas stops, hearing himself sound agitated and takes a deep breath. "Just let me leave."

"I'm not stopping you."

Roxas nods and heads out of the kitchen, running upstairs and into the dressing room. Just as he finishes changing, there's a knock at the door. He hesitates, wondering if it could be Braig or Reno. The door slowly opens and Axel steps in, closing it behind him. He walks up to the vanity mirror and sits on the bench in front of it. He looks up at Roxas, and pats the spot beside him, the seat being long enough for two. Roxas does so, and looks into the mirror. His face is a bit oily from running around and nervously sweating, but the make up is still on. Axel grabs a tissue and turns slightly towards Roxas.

"May I?"

"Sure." Roxas turns and let's the redhead carefully hold his chin up and wipe away the make up. Once he's finished, Roxas looks to the mirror and sees himself, not the butler.

"There you go, all better. You look much happier this way."

The blond smiles. "I am."

"So...you really wanna go, huh?" Axel turns his gaze to his own reflection.

"Yeah, Axel.."

"If I could stop you, I would."

"Why would you? I'm not happy here."

"But I am." Axel objects. Roxas furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "Because..you're here, Roxas..I mean, I haven't gotten to know you much, but you seem like a nice guy..and you do make me happy.."

"I'm sure you could find another butler to replace me, Axel." Roxas gets up from the bench and heads for the door. "And any of them could make you happier than I do."

Axel shakes his head and mutters, "No, they couldn't."

* * *

><p><strong>(<strong>

* * *

><p>I hadn't seen Axel in weeks.<p>

_I was at the store._

_No, I hadn't even made it into the store._

_I was on my way home from work, and remembered that we were nearly out of milk, so I thought it'd be best to buy some, and maybe anything else we might need._

_So I was driving to the store._

I asked for as many hours as possible at McDonald's.

_I stopped at an intersection._

_Waited my turn._

_Then drove._

_But there were lights._

Mom found out.

She was upset at first, asked if I was sure it was the right choice.

I'd heard her crying later when she didn't think I could.

But eventually, she told me that it was alright.

And she thanked me for working to help us.

But when she'd cry, she'd always say,

over and over,

"I'm so sorry."

_He hit me in the back bumper, and sent me spinning._

_For a moment, I could see the driver._

_He had a phone in his hand._

_Then my car started to flip._

One day, when I had free time, I was watching tv.

Nothing was on, so I pretty much daydreamed.

My mind wandered to Axel,

and I tried to calculate.

If I stayed with him, working every weekend while being reserved,

could I have stayed in school?

Maybe doing little side jobs for neighbors would've helped too.

Would I be doing better?

_When I finally stopped, I heard people running and talking._

_Eventually, someone pulled me out, and after procedures, loaded me into the ambulance._

_I heard one of the paramedics mutter,_

_"That's Roxas."_

_"Roxas..Aerith's kid?"_

_"Roxas, can you hear me?" She carefully took my hand, and said with a sweet voice, "It's me. Rikku."_

_My eyes slowly opened, and I saw a young women with sunflower petal blonde hair tied in a bun, a few strands braided._

_"Not that other Riku. Your mom's friend."_

_"Mom...has a lot of friends..." I muttered._

_She giggled. "Yeah, she does, cause she's so nice. I bet you are too, Roxas. Your mom's always talking about you guys. I'll get to find out when you get all better, right?"_

_I looked up into her eyes, green with a swirled pupil. It was a unique trait only her people, the Al Bhed, have. My mom had introduced me to her before, and I had taken every chance to look into her eyes. They were really pretty to me. I smiled weakly and let my eyes flutter shut, "Y-yeah."_

_"Roxas?"_

Should I have stayed?

_There was a beeping that went at a moderate speed, then suddenly sped up._

_"Roxas, stay with me." I heard Rikku say. "Stay with me. Stay with me."_

_**"Stay with me, Roxas."**_

_Axel?_

Gather some courage and put up with it all.

Like Demyx.

_There was darkness all around me._

_A figure reached forward and grabbed my shoulders._

_I gripped their wrists and opened my mouth to scream._

Like Axel.

_They ripped a hand from my grasp and slammed it over my mouth before I could scream._

_A bright light shined from above._

_The figure came into view._

Like my mom.

_Faces flashed on a bare canvas._

_All shrieking, "Roxas."_

_My eyes widened. I let go of their arms but they kept their hold on me._

_Yuffie's face appeared. "We told you. Be careful." _

_"I-I tried."_

_Now Zexion's face. "No, you didn't."_

_DiZ's face. "You did everything wrong."_

_Riku's face. "You've hurt them, Roxas."_

_"Who?"_

_"Me." Sora said._

_My lips quivered as I tried to control my tears._

_"Me too." Now Axel appeared._

_"And me." My mother._

_"And me."_

_"And me."_

_"And me."_

_My friends, my ex-girlfriend, my boss, my mom's friends. Everyone. They all appeared and said,_

_"Me."_

_"Me."_

_"Me."_

Like everyone else.

_I threw my head back from their hand, looking up to the light, and screamed at the top of my lungs,_

_**"WHAT ABOUT ME? !" **  
><em>

Why am I so weak?

_"Because you're human."_

_I slowly lowered my head and saw Reno, but his face keeps switching to another, one that'd I'd seen in only pictures._

_My father._

_"Because you're human, it's okay. It's okay to think about yourself sometimes. You've given up a lot. You deserve moments."_

_"Dad?"_

_"And you're not weak. You're stronger than many, even your father."_

_"W-what.."_

_"Sorry for appearing again, Roxas. But really, this will be the last time. You're okay now. Everything's fine. I don't need to look after you anymore." He lets his hand fall from my shoulders. His face flickers to my father and stays for just a few seconds longer. I take in every bit of it. It changes back, and he continues, "Because my brother will take good care of you."_

_"Your brother..?" Could it be true? Was it not a coincidence?_

_"You're smart, kid. I'm sure you can figure it out." He ruffles my hair. "Now don't give him a hard time, yo."_

_I hesitate. I can't be right. He chuckles, "Maybe this will help." He leans forward a bit and smirks, "Got it memorized?"_

_My eyes widen in surprise. I stutter and quickly shut my eyes, shaking my head. "N-no, it can't be. It's just a coincidence."_

_"It's not. But don't tell him you ever met me, okay? I wouldn't want him to get excited just to be disappointed. He can't meet me ever again."_

_"Why?" I ask, still having my eyes closed._

_"Because I'm dead...Roxas, I was the one that hit you."_

"What?" He gasps, and when his eyes open to look into light blue topazes, Roxas sees bright green emeralds instead.

He struggles to catch his breath, but regains enough to say, "Axel?"

He'd never seen his boss smile so brightly before.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, it was the middle of the night and I was spiraling through insanity as I wrote this. That's why it's so terrible.<strong>


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